PS Advisor: Backing Plate and Self-tapping Screw Tips
Athreaded backing plate is a common approach to eliminating nuts in through bolts. We’ve used threaded backing plates for mounting jammers to thin-walled spars...
Mailport: winch handle holders; pets on board
THE WINCH HOLSTER
With regards to your recent report on winch handle holders (see “Winch Handle Holders,” PS July/August 2023), another approach to winch handle...
PS Advisor: Combatting Mildew on a Moored Boat
In your recent report “Understanding Dew Point to Prevent Mildew,” (see Inside Practical Sailor blog) there is the comment, “curiously, the best way to...
Mailport: Tillers, bilge pumps, and lazy jacks
REDUCING CHAIN TWIST
With regards to responses to your Inside PS blog post on chain twist “How Well Do Swivels Reduce Chain Twist?” as with...
PS Advisor: Using Acids to Clean Propellers
We recently received a letter from a reader asking us which acids might be used to clean a bronze propeller. Although we’ve found it...
Mailport: Tillers, bilge pumps, and lazy jacks
TILLERS VS. WHEEL
I sailed a Yankee 30 for 10 years — tiller steering — and recently moved up to a “big sister” of the...
PS Advisor: Complacency and the Experienced Sailor
The past few years have made it clear that age and experience doesn’t necessarily translate into safety on the water. In fact, a number...
Mailport: Winch Maintenance, Painting Jib, DIY Mainsail Cover
BLANKET WINCH SERVICE
Regarding your blog post “Simple Tips on Servicing Your Sailboat Winches,” I do my winches every two years when the boat is...
PS Advisor: Tacking and Jibing with a Tiller Pilot
In very light winds the tiller pilot will make corrections that are too small and the boat will not turn quickly enough to complete...
Mailport: Charley Morgan, Locker Safety, Fast Bottom Paint
SALUTE TO CHARLEY MORGAN
Regarding your memorial to Charley Morgan and his enduring boat designs (see “Eight Bells for Charley Morgan,” PS February 2023), your praise for...
Is the Gulfstar 44 a STEAL of a DEAL?
If you plan to go cruising on a sailboat and sail in the ocean, the Gulfstar 44 might just be the perfect budget cruiser...
Latest Sailboat Review
Valiant 40 Used Boat Review
The Valiant 40 has a long history. In 1972, Nathan Rothman decided to start a boatbuilding business and approached old friend Bob Perry to...